What is this thread all about?
Just a place for general discussion. A place to unload whats on your mind and talk about anything - personal, health, help needed, achievements, daily highs and daily lows, theories, predictions and what have you.
Does not need to be Q related.
Before you go to sleep, tell yourself you won’t have any nightmares. Focus on positive thoughts. I listen to podcasts all night long in one earbud. Makes for weird dreams but not terrors. Try not to have any caffeine after 6pm. Avoid heavy meals and alcohol after 6pm. Make your room environment restful if it isn’t. Shut off tv and any lights and avoid a lot of computer screen and phone stimulation directly before sleep. Try reading, instead. Make sure you’re cool enough. You sleep better when you’re not hot. That’s a challenge for me because of a dumb purchase of a memory foam mattress but I’m stuck with it for now so I have a wool mattress topper. AC gets put at 68 degrees at night. Use a weighted blanket if you can handle the warmth of them. Have some water at the bedside so you don’t have to get up if thirsty. I have a box fan set on low for white noise. I have tinnitus and so that helps but it also keeps you cooler at night. I also found changing my diet has helped. Keto-ish. Someone said I do “dirty keto” but that isn’t completely true. I avoid processed stuff and carbs. It’s helped with joint pain( inflammation) which helps with getting a restful night sleep. I guess that’s about it for tips and sorry you struggle with it. Just some things that have helped me. I’ve found the more restful sleep I get (looking at the big picture) the fewer frequent wake ups which seem when the nightmares and terrors happen. I have many where someone is approaching me quickly. Like I see a person coming at me fast, extremely threatening. It’s getting better with these changes. I hope this helps.
This is what I needed....so thankful for your advice anon. I have been wrestling with this for 11 years now but its been getting a bit worse. I literally have the same struggles as you with the joint pain and inflammation. The tinnitis and everything. Having kids helps me stay distracted but I am also forgetting all the essentials you listed before going to bed. Thank you again. This is big for me.
Try some Magnesium lotion. I can’t recommend it enough. Helps with sleep, inflammation, and general well being.
You mentioned smoke, I presume that means the medicinal kind, you might try indica edibles. If I'm restless like a 10mg at bedtime is all night, or if wake up say 2AM half of one (2 hours before alarm is when it's annoying as I generally don't like wake and bake - I used to but now I'm only into this when I'm done for the day/relaxing mode). Totally shifts things and it's like before you conk out it's peaceful/interesting/enjoyable, then asleep before you know it - and the effects with eating vs smoking are both more mellow and stronger/deeper, if that make sense, for me at least. Sometimes when I'm trying to go to sleep is when I'll have like really weirdass/fairly disturbing dreams and this fixes that right up.
Edit: Wyld btw. Quality. A serious head friend recommended Hush but I haven't found/tried those yet.
I am so sorry you’re struggling. It’s hard and there will be times they’re worse. Holidays, higher times of stress but try to approach it with some humor (talk to your fears, don’t let them be in control) and diligently remind yourself every night you are not going to have bad dreams. Also.. critical thing- don’t sleep on your back at night if possible. Hang in there!
Omg one last thing- I take propranolol. It’s a beta blocker. Helps with that fight or flight adrenaline dump. May help you. No side effects, not addicting. More and more people with ptsd are having positive results. I think it is a lifesaver.